Seats & tickets · Ticket resale glossary
Mobile Tickets
Also known as: SafeTix, Rotating barcode, Digital tickets
Mobile tickets are tickets stored in the ticketing site's app or digital wallet rather than printed or emailed as a PDF. Many use a rotating barcode — Ticketmaster's SafeTix is the best known — that refreshes every few seconds so screenshots don't work.
Rotating barcodes make counterfeit tickets and duplicate sales much harder, and they mean a ticket can only change hands through a ticket transfer in the app.
They often come with delayed delivery: the barcode only appears close to the event.
How rotating barcodes work
A rotating barcode is generated from a secret stored in the holder's app and the current time, so the code on screen changes every few seconds. The scanner at the door checks that the code is valid at that moment. A screenshot shows a code that has already expired, which is why photos and printed copies are refused.
Because the secret is tied to an account, the only way to give the ticket to someone else is a ticket transfer, which issues a new secret to the recipient and invalidates the old one.
Mobile ticket systems by platform
Most large ticketing companies now deliver tickets to a phone, but the rules around them differ:
- Ticketmaster SafeTix: a rotating barcode in the Ticketmaster app or a digital wallet, transferable where the event allows it.
- AXS Mobile ID: the ticket lives in the AXS app, with its own rules for transfer and official resale.
- DICE: tickets are locked to the buyer's phone, and most returns go through DICE's waiting list rather than a transfer.
- Others: Eventim, See Tickets and many festival systems use app or wallet tickets, sometimes alongside PDFs.
What mobile tickets mean for resale
Mobile tickets remove most of the counterfeit risk that came with PDFs and paper, since a valid ticket can only arrive by transfer. That makes the secondary ticket market safer for buyers, but more dependent on the platform's rules: if the organiser disables or delays transfers, resale stops or waits. Where tickets are also named, resale is usually limited to the official fan-to-fan resale channel.
For sellers, delivery becomes a step with its own timing. Tickets that only appear close to the event have to be listed with delayed delivery, and each sale needs a separate transfer to the buyer's account.
Example: selling part of a mobile ticket order
A seller holds four SafeTix tickets for a concert and sells two on a marketplace. The marketplace provides the buyer's email address; the seller opens the Ticketmaster app, transfers two of the tickets and keeps the other two. The buyer accepts, and new barcodes appear in their app. The seller's remaining tickets are unaffected, and the marketplace marks the order as delivered once the transfer is confirmed.
Common problems with mobile tickets
Most issues with mobile tickets come down to timing or accounts rather than the ticket itself:
- Transfer not accepted: the recipient must accept from the right account, so check the status rather than assume delivery.
- Barcode not showing: many tickets only appear a set time before the event, so a missing barcode weeks out is normal.
- Phone problems: a lost or replaced phone doesn't lose the ticket — logging in to the account on the new device usually restores it.
- Screenshot sales: anyone selling a screenshot of a rotating barcode is selling a ticket that will not scan.
Track it with Eventory
Eventory shows where tickets for an event are sold and resold, whatever format they're delivered in.
Frequently asked questions
Can I screenshot a mobile ticket?
Not if it uses a rotating barcode such as Ticketmaster SafeTix. The code changes every few seconds and the scanner rejects expired codes, so a screenshot won't get you in. You need the live ticket in the app or wallet.
How do I send a mobile ticket to someone else?
Use the transfer function in the ticketing app. Enter the recipient's email address or phone number; once they accept, they receive their own ticket with a new barcode. Transfers may be restricted or delayed for some events.
Are mobile tickets safer to buy on resale?
Generally yes, because a valid ticket can only be delivered through an official transfer, which removes most counterfeit risk. The remaining risk is a seller who never transfers, which marketplace buyer guarantees are designed to cover.
Why hasn't my mobile ticket appeared yet?
Many events hold mobile tickets back until a few days or hours before the show to curb resale and fraud. The order page normally shows when the ticket will become available.